Spondylotic disease or Spondylosis refers to degenerative changes in the spine that result in compression of the spinal cord or nerve roots. The process of degeneration usually begins in the old, but can also begin in young patients. It is generally known and understood that the process of degeneration begins in the cushions between the vertebrae (intervertebral discs). Degeneration is also known to involve the joints between the vertebral segments. Over time these changes cause the space between adjacent vertebrae to narrow, which may result in misalignment of adjacent vertebrae and in severe cases may lead to pressure over the nerve roots and to the spinal cord.
The patients usually present symptoms that include sensory (parasthesiae or abnormal sensations) and motor disturbances (radiculopathy—compression of the nerve root; or myelopathy—compression of spinal cord). Pain in the neck, shoulder, arm, back or leg are other common symptoms. The phenomenon can result in hand and leg weakness, gait dysfunction, loss of balance, and loss of bowel and/or bladder control.
Common treatments for spondylosis, include physiotherapy, posture and lifestyle modifications and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Alternative therapies such as osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM), massage, trigger-point therapy, chiropractic care, osteopathic care and acupuncture may be utilized to control pain and maintain musculoskeletal function in some people. Surgery is occasionally performed, and typically involves removal of osteophytes (bone spurs) and/or portions of an intervertebral disc in an effort to relieve pressure on adjacent nerve roots and/or the spinal cord. Recently, some surgeons have advised distraction of the vertebral bodies and distraction of the spinous processes for fixation. Artificial disc replacement has also been advocated recently which replaces the intervertebral disc with a prosthetic implant and aims to preserve mobility of the spinal segments relative each other.
Other therapies including manual mobilization and mechanical traction of the neck and lower back have been successfully used to alleviate pain, which is reflected in their widespread application. Postural modification also frequently helps in relieving the symptoms.
Despite the solutions available in the art, when a person develops root or spinal cord compression symptoms, there is a possibility of permanent damage to the nerve root or to the cord. Under such situations surgical treatment is necessary.
There is therefore a need to develop devices and methods for addressing spondylotic disease.